Mari's Fish Ceviche

Here's something totally different from Food for Hunters. It comes from our lesser known sibling-- Food for Fish-peoples!

My nephew Jim's wife is from La Paz, Mexico. It is the capital of one of two states that make up the Baja California peninsula-- Baja California Sur. La Paz is located just north of the Tropic of Cancer and is in between the Pacific Ocean and the famed Sea of Cortez, often called the "Fish-trap of the Seas." To say the least, seafood is an important part of the people's diet. 

Mari and her daughter.

Ceviche is a tasty dish where seafood, in this case fish, is cooked not via the usual source of heat but by a chemical reaction from the lime juice that is used in this dish. When it is too hot to turn on the oven or stove to cook, people make this spicy and refreshing concoction for a snack or even whole meals.  

This is a recipe for a large gathering, so bring together family and friends for some South of the Border goodness. Don't have a big group? Cut the recipe in half! When you are feeling a little "international," give this recipe a try. Enjoy! -Rick 

Prep Time: 45 minutes
"Cooking" Time: 2 hours
Servings: many
Ingredients: 
- 4 lbs. of white-fleshed fish filets (ex: crappie, walleye, bass, rockfish, Dorado), diced
- one and a half large brown onions, chopped
- 3 jalapeños, chopped
- 2 Serrano chiles, chopped
- 6 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 3 to 5 limes (enough to cover fish as stated below)
- 1 tbs. salt
- 1 tbs. pepper
- tortillas or tostada shells for serving (optional)

1. Rinse filets with cold water and pat dry. Remove dark strip (bloodline) from each filet and dice into small chunks. Place in a non-reactive bowl, plastic or glass.

2. Slice limes in half and squeeze enough juice that it barely covers all the fish. The acid in the limes will chemically "cook" the fish. Depending on the size of the diced fish, this will take roughly two hours. Stir occasionally. The fish will look opaque when done. 

3. While the fish is "cooking," chop onions and set aside in a separate bowl. Then chop the jalapeños, Serranos and tomatoes. Next, roughly chop the cilantro.

4. Midway through the cooking time, add chopped onion to the fish. 

When fish is about done, add the jalapenos, Serranos, cilantro and tomato. Mix well. Add salt and pepper. Allow ingredients to sit for 15 minutes before serving. 

5) As a cocktail, serve in cocktail glasses with either crackers or make your own tortilla chips according to our "Nachos Cazadores" recipe. Eat as is or with a dollop of catsup on top. Or as a main dish, serve on tostadas shells. Either way, enjoy it with your favorite cerveza! 

Here's Jim lazing around in the afternoon sun. What a life!